Golf practice device

ABSTRACT

A tubular casing is held on a pad; through an elongated slot thereof extends a tee stem which supports a golf ball; a reciprocating tee bar inside the tubular member supports the tee stem on the bar so that when the ball is struck the bar is advanced against the action of a coil spring which latter returns the tee bar and the ball into an initial position; spaced from the tee bar is an indicator bar in the tubular member held in an initial position by a coil spring in the far end of the tubular casing and it has an extension projecting beyond the end of the tubular casing provided with indicia for indicating the distance corresponding to the force of striking the ball; a releasable pawl and ratchet device holds the indicator bar in extended position; the point of the tee bar is offset toward the slotted top of the casing so that when the ball is hit to one side or the other it turns the tee bar thereby reducing the force of impact on the indicator bar and also moving side flaps or plates for indicating the direction in which the tee bar was turned.

Elite tates atent [1 1 Koo [ Aug. 20, 1974 1 1 GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE [76] Inventor: Bonny B. K00, 1016 Austin Ave.,

Pacific Grove, Calif. 93950 [22] Filed: Jan. 21, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 435,300

Primary ExaminerGeorge J. Marlo Attorney, Agent, or FirmGeorge B. White [57] ABSTRACT A tubular casing is held on a pad; through an elongated slot thereof extends a tee stem which supports a golf ball; a reciprocating tee bar inside the tubular member supports the tee stem on the bar so that when the ball is struck the bar is advanced against the action of a coil spring which latter returns the tee bar and the ball into an initial position; spaced from the tee bar is an indicator bar in the tubular member held in an initial position by a coil spring in the far end of the tubular casing and it has an extension projecting beyond the end of the tubular casing provided with indicia for indicating the distance corresponding to the force of striking the ball; a releasable pawl and ratchet device holds the indicator bar in extended position; the point of the tee bar is offset toward the slotted top of the casing so that when the ball is hit to one side or the other it turns the tee bar thereby reducing the force of impact on the indicator bar and also moving side flaps or plates for indicating the direction in which the tee bar was turned.

10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PAIENHumszomn sum aur 5 GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While several golf practice devices for distance indication were heretofore developed, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved golf practice device which indicates not only the distance by the force of impact but also varies the distance indication according to the direction in which the practice golf ball is struck, and also simultaneously indicates the direction of departure from the straight line stroke in striking the ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple portable device with the minimum number of parts which operates positively for the indication of the force and direction of the stroke of the golfer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the position of the golf practice device in relation to the golfer.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a slightly enlarged scale of the golf practice device.

FIG. 3 is a fragmental end view of the indicator end of the device.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmental partly sectional plan view showing the lateral indicator and the pawl release.

FIG. 5 is a sectional longitudinal view of the device.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental sectional longitudinal view of the device on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 7 is cross-sectional view of the device showing the lateral indicator on one side in indicating position, the section being taken on lines 7-7 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 8 is a fragmental sectional view showing the lateral indication.

FIG. 9 is a fragmental side view showing the lateral indicator.

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device at the time of the impact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A tubular casing 1 is mounted by bolts 2 through flanges 3 to a base 4, which in the present form is a pad. A tee bar 6 is reciprocable and also turnable in the tubular casing. A tee stem 7 extends from the tee bar 6 through a longitudinal slot 8 in the top of the tubular casing 1. The slot 8 is wider than the stem 7 so as to allow limited movement of the stem sidewise. A golf ball 9 is suitably mounted on the free end of the tee stem 7 spaced above the top of the tubular casing 1. The tee stem 7 is flexible, but of sufficient stiffness to move the tee bar 6 when the ball is struck. As shown in FIG. 6 a stiff cable 11 is anchored in the tee bar 6 and a stiff rubber sleeve 12 surrounds the portion of the cable 11 between the casing 1 and the golf ball 9. A coil spring 13 in the adjacent end of the tubular casing I normally pulls the tee bar 6 into the initial position where the tee stem 7 abuts against the end of slot 8.

,An indicator bar 14 in the casing 1 is spaced from the end of the tee bar 6 in the initial position to a distance less than the length of the slot 8. An indicator finger 16 projects from the indicator bar 14 through a hole 17 in the indicator end of the casing 1. The indicator finger 16 and the hole 17 are of rectangular cross section to prevent the turning of the indicator bar 14. A coil spring 18 between the indicator and the casing l and a shoulder 19 of the indicator bar 14 normally urges the indicator 14 into an initial position. On the top of the indicator bar 14 are a plurality of teeth 21 engageable by a pawl 22 through a slot 23 in the casing 1 as shown in FIG. 5. The pawl 22 is pivoted on a pivot 24 mounted on the top of the casing 1 and a lever 26 of said pawl 22 is engaged by a resilient element such as a tubular rubber cushion 27 to hold the pawl 22 in engagement with one of the teeth 21. When the indicator bar 14 is struck by the tee bar 6 the impact moves the indicator bar 21 against the action of the spring 18, and the teeth 21 are so slanted as to push the pawl 22 out of the way and pass the pawl, thereby to be engaged and held by the pawl 22 in the indicating position. By stepping on the lever 26 the pawl 22 can be released so that the spring 18 can return the indicator bar 14 to its initial position.

The striking end 28 of the tee bar 6 has a tapered side 29 tapering upwardly to a striking point 31 which is offset from the center of the axis of the tee bar 6 as well as from the axis of the indicator bar 14. The striking end of the indicator bar 14 also has an upwardly tapered side 10 and has a resiliently compressible pad 32 which covers the tapered side 10 and fills the area corresponding to the cutaway area below the offset point 31 of the tee bar 6. The initial registry of the tee bar 6 and the indicator bar 14 is such that the striking point 31 is in registry with the hard metal offset point 33 at the striking end of the indicator bar 14. Thus when the golf ball 9 is struck by a correct forward stroke the striking point 31 strikes the hard point 33 of the indicator bar 14 and the impact propels the indicator bar 14 toward the indicator end of the casing 1. When the ball 9 is struck by a stroke which turns the tee bar 6 to one side or the other, the point 31 strikes the resilient pad 32 hence the impact is correspondingly reduced in force and the indicator bar 14 is propelled to a shorter distance.

The spring 13 is anchored on a cap 39 which is threaded on the striking end of the casing 1. The other spring 18 bears against a similar cap 41 threaded on the indicator end of the casing 1. The tension of each spring can be adjusted by adjusting the respective cap and the device can be adjusted to the average length of drive by the golfer.

For indicating the direction to which side the tee bar 6 is turned by the stroke, a lateral indicator device is provided. In the present illustration a side slot 34 on each side of the casing 1 adjacent the respective edges of the tapered side 29 is covered by a plate which is pivoted on a vertical tight hinge 37 at the end of the slot 34 nearer to the striking end of the casing 1, as shown in FIG. 8. Each plate 37 is shorter than the adjacent slot so that the free end 38 of each plate 37 projects inwardly of the casing 1. Each slot 34 is shorter than the length of the tapered side 29 and the spacing of the slots 34 from the striking end of the indicator bar in its initial position is such that when the point 31 strikes the point 33 of the indicator bar 14, the tapered side 29 travels a comparatively short distance between the plates 36 without disturbing the initial position of the plate 36. But when the striking bar 6 is turned to one side or the other then the top of the point 31 travels along the adjacent plate 37 and pushes that plate outwardly as shown in FIGS. '7, 8 and 9 thereby indicating the direction in which the ball was pushed or pulled by the stroke of the golfer. After the tee bar 8 is returned to the initial position, the golfer can push the plate 36 back into its slot 34. Also the golfer by stepping on the lever 26 can release the indicator bar 14 thereby to return it into its initial position.

The device is simple in structure and in operation and it can give good comparative indication of the effectiveness of the stroke of the golfer and also can indicate the cause for the less effective stroke because of incorrect striking of the ball; it is equally adapted for indoor or outdoor use.

I claim:

1. In a golf practice device,

a guide casing,

a striking element reciprocable in the casing,

a golf ball,

means to connect said golf ball to said striking element so as to move said striking element according to the force of striking the ball,

first resiliently yieldable means to hold said striking element in an initial position,

an indicator element reciprocable in said casing,

second resiliently yieldable means to hold said indicator element in an initial position aligned with and spaced to an abuttable distance from said striking element,

and a calibrated indicator extended from said indicator element to the outside of said casing for indicating the distance corresponding to the force of impact transmitted through said striking element to said indicator element when said golf ball is struck.

2. The device specified in claim 1, and

saidmeans to connect said golf ball being resiliently flexible normally to urge said golf ball into an initial teed position.

3. The device specified in claim 1, and

a striking point on the end of the striking element pointing toward said indicator element and being offset from the center of said end,

an abutment point on the end of the indicator element opposite to and in registry with said striking point,

said striking element being held in said casing with freedom of limited rotation thereby to move said striking point out of said registering position when said golf ball is struck so as to turn said striking element and thereby to abut said indicator element at an abutment area spaced from said abutment point and to reduce the force of the transmitted impact.

4. The device specified in claim 3, and

a resiliently compressible cushion on said abutment area of the abutment end of said indicator element for cushioning unregistered abutting by said striking point.

5. The device specified in claim 3, and

means to hold said indicator element against rotation.

6. The device specified in claim 3, and

said striking element being a tee-bar rotatable in said casing,

there being an elongate guide slot on said casing, and said means to connect said golf ball being a stern slidably extended through said slot,

said guide slot being wider than the thickness of said stem to permit limited lateral movement of the stem whenever said golf ball is driven sidewise, thereby to rotate said tee-bar to move said striking point out of registering position.

7. The device specified in claim 6, and

a resiliently compressible cushion on said abutment area offset from said abutment point to cushion an unregistered abutting by said striking point.

8. The device specified in claim 6, and

coacting means on said casing and on said tee-bar to indicate the extent of turning of said tee-bar when reciprocated in a rotated attitude.

9. The device specified in claim 6, and

an eccentric tapered portion of said tee-bar tapering toward said striking point,

and a movable indicator member on each side of said casing along said tapered portion being engageable by the portion of said tee-bar adjacent said striking point when said tee-bar is rotated thereby to indicate the annular offset of said tee-bar.

10. The device specified in claim 6, and

said first resiliently yieldable means being a first coil spring engaging the tee-bar,

said second resiliently yieldable means being a second coil spring engaging a portion of said indicator element and said casing,

a first adjustable element on said casing engaging said first spring for adjusting the resiliency thereof,

and a second adjustable element on said casing en gaging said second spring for adjusting the resil iency thereof. 

1. In a golf practice device, a guide casing, a striking element reciprocable in the casing, a golf ball, means to connect said golf ball to said striking element so as to move said striking element according to the force of striking the ball, first resiliently yieldable means to hold said striking element in an initial position, an indicator element reciprocable in said casing, second resiliently yieldable means to hold said indicator element in an initial position aligned with and spaced to an abuttable distance from said striking element, and a calibrated indicator extended from said indicator element to the outside of said casing for indicating the distance corresponding to the force of impact transmitted through said striking element to said indicator element when said golf ball is struck.
 2. The device specified in claim 1, and said means to connect said golf ball being resiliently flexible normally to urge said golf ball into an initial teed position.
 3. The device specified in claim 1, and a striking point on the end of the striking element pointing toward said indicator element and being offset from the center of said end, an abutment point on the end of the indicator element opposite to and in registry with said striking point, said striking element being held in said casing with freedom of limited rotation thereby to move said striking point out of said registering position when said golf ball is struck so as to turn said striking element and thereby to abut said indicator element at an abutment area spaced from said abutment point and to reduce the force of the transmitted impact.
 4. The device specified in claim 3, and a resiliently compressible cushion on said abutment area of the abutment end of said indicator element for cushioning unregistered abutting by said striking point.
 5. The device specified in claim 3, and means to hold said indicator element against rotation.
 6. The device specified in claim 3, and said striking element being a tee-bar rotatable in said casing, there being an elongate guide slot on said casing, and said means to connect said golf ball being a stem slidably extended through said slot, said guide slot being wider than the thickness of said stem to permit limited lateral movement of the stem whenever said golf ball is driven sidewise, thereby to rotate said tee-bar to move said striking point out of registering position.
 7. The device specified in claim 6, and a resiliently compressible cushion on said abutment area offset from said abutment point to cushion an unregistered abutting by said striking point.
 8. The device specified in claim 6, and coacting means on said casing and on said tee-bar to indicate the extent of turning of said tee-bar when reciprocated in a rotated attitude.
 9. The device specified in claim 6, and an eccentric tapered portion of said tee-bar tapering toward said striking point, and a movable indicator member on each side of said casing along said tapered portion being engageable by the portion of said tee-bar adjacent said striking point when said tee-bar is rotated thereby to indicate the annular offset of said tee-bar.
 10. The device specified in claim 6, and said first resiliently yieldable meaNs being a first coil spring engaging the tee-bar, said second resiliently yieldable means being a second coil spring engaging a portion of said indicator element and said casing, a first adjustable element on said casing engaging said first spring for adjusting the resiliency thereof, and a second adjustable element on said casing engaging said second spring for adjusting the resiliency thereof. 